Clasp or toggle



L. H. TEEL CLASP OR TOGGLE Filed Feb. 15, 1928 Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAWRENCE HOWES TEEL, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO A. C. LAWRENCE LEATHER COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE CLASP OR TOGGLE Application led February 13, 1928. Serial No. 253,807.

The present invention relates to clasps and more particularly to that type of clasp employed in the stretching of leather in drying frames and commonly known as toggles.

As heretofore constructed theseV toggles have comprised various combinations of levers, links, and springs, and are not only eX- pensive to construct, but are liable'to excessive wear and breakage in use. Many of these prior constructions are objectionable in that they have a tendency to slip upon the leather, while others are not adapted for easy manipulation by the operator with one hand, or for use with different types of drying frames.

The object of the present inventon is to provide a clasp or toggle which shall be simple and cheap in construction, which will 'comprise a minimum of parts, and which will be strong and durable without liability of breakage or excessive wear. Y Y

A further obj ect is 'to provide a form of clasp or toggle which shall hold the leather or material with an unyielding grip irrespective of variations in thickness, and which may operator. y i

A still further obj ect of the present invention is to provide a toggle which is adapted for use upon the various formsv of drying frames now employed. Y

Vith these objects in view the present 'invention consists in the clasp or toggle herein shown and described and more particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings 'which illustrate what is now considered the preferred form of the present invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved clasp ortoggle in operative position; Fig. 2 is va top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 2%*8 of Fig. 1; and Fig.'

4 is a vertical longitudinal section with the toggle in open or inoperative position.

The toggle illustrated in the drawing comprises a pair of levers or members 4 pivoted be easily manipulated with the hand of the together intermediate their ends and having at one end cooperating gripping jaws 5. Each member 2 is formed of a single piece of sheet material, with its front end bent substantially at right angles to form the gripping jaw. The sides 6 are formed of bentover portions which not only stiffen and strengthen the member, but also afford a bearing for the pivot pin 7. Each member is bent over at its rear end 8 to stiften it transversely and to provide a smooth,rounded surface for the fingers of the operator.

The members are normally held with the jaws closed by the action of al coil spring 9 which surrounds the pivot pin, and has its ends 10, 10, engaging themembers to the rear of the pivot. This spring is not s0 strong but it may be easily overcome by the hand of the operator, being intended to give only a preliminary gripping of the work, suliicient to hold the togglein its adjusted position prior to any stretching action on the leather.

The jaws are positively forced together to grip the leather securely by means of a cam 11 of general wedge shape, which acts to force the rear portions of the members apart. `This cam is located between the rear portions of the members 2 with its wider end toward the front, that is, toward the jaws, and eX- tending through longitudinal slots 12 formed medially in the members 2.

When the cam is moved rearwardly the actuating faces or edges 13 engage the rear walls 14: of the slots 12 and positively force apart the rear portions of the members, thereby closing the jaws. Y

In order to compensate in whole or in part for the difference in angular position of the two members when gripping leather of different thicknesses, the cam faces 13 are preferably curved, as shown in Fig. 4 instead of being straight throughout their length, the closing effect ofthe cam thus being made more nearly uniform throughout the range of its movement.

To shorten the length of the toggle to make it more compact, the front or broad end of the wedge or cammember is recessed as shown at 15 to provide clearance for the spring and pivot pin. Thus the cam may be located further forward in the toggle and the overall length of the complete device correspondingly reduced.

Also, in order to permit the closer approach of the rear portions of the members 2 and a correspordingly wider opening of the jaws 5, the wedge or cam 11 is of reduced thickness or height opposite the rear ends 8 of the members.

For the purpose of facilitating the rearf ward or operative movement of the cam l1 by the o erator, the cam is provided with a ring-shaped or annular extension 17, having an opening of suflicient size to receive the finger of the operator, or to facilitate the grasping of the cam in other convenient manner.

Where the toggle is to be used with the common form of stretching frame, a cord is fastened through this annular portion 17, which cord may be attached to the stretching frame in the well know-n manner.

To adapt the toggle for `use on that type of frame in which a plurality of holes or openings are provided, the rear portion of the cam is formed with two ears or prongs 18 adapted to be caught in one of such openings to connect the toggle with the stretching frame.

In operation these togglesA are attached around the entire margin of the skin or leather at spaced intervals, and the skin or lea-V ther is stretched by pulling or .drawing on the toggles, the latter beingV then secured to the frame either by the cord or `by the prongs, according to the type of stretching frame employed.

In attaching the Vindividual toggles, the operator grasps the rear end of the members of the toggle between his thumb and fingers, and compresses these portions against the vaction of the spring. rIhis opens the gripping jaws, the cam sliding forward as the rear ends of the slots engage the cam surface. The edge of the leather or skin is inserted between the aws and the toggle released, whereuponit gripstlie leather with suflicient force .to prevent accidental dislodgmentbefore the stretching strain is applied. The operator thenV takes the toggle either by the annular or ring portion at the rear of the cam members or by the cord and pulls the same rearwardly, the cam acting rst to close the aws more tightly upon the leather, and then to impart the stretching strain thereto Vas the cam member is drawn further backwards. The harder the pull the more iirmly the jaws grip the leather.

After the stretched leather has been properly dried, the toggles may be detached from the stretching frame and quickly released from the leather by compression of the rear ends of the members.

The improved toggle is of simple construction, involving only ive diierent parts, three of which may be died or pressed out of sheet metal; there are no loose parts to become separated and lost, and no small parts to be broken or liable to excessive wear. The toggle is compact, the cam slots lying substantially equidistant from the front and the rear ends of the members with the front portions of the slot overlying the pivot pin. Thus the actuating portions of the cam are located at all times substantially between the front and rear ends of the toggle.

Having thus described the invention, what is .claimed is:

1. clasp or toggle comprising two members having cooperating gripping jaws'at their front ends, a pivot pin for connecting the members intermediate their ends, each of said members being provided with a longitudinally disposed slot ay portion of which overlies the pivot pin, a wedge shaped cam mounted in the slots for actuating the members to close the jaws, the'front or wider portion of the cam being recessed to provide clearance for the pivot pin.

2. A clasp or toggle comprising a pair of members formed of sheet metal and having turned over ends to form gripping jaws at one `end and linger engaging portions at the other, said membershaving turned over sides to stiften the members and to receive a pivot pin for connecting the members, a coiled spring surrounding the pin, each of said members beingv provided with a longitudinal slot and an actuatinfr cam mounted in theV slots,vthe Vcam having a portion of reduced thickness to provide clearance for the rear ends of the members to permit the wider opening of the jaws.

3. A clasp or toggle comprising two members pivoted together intermediate their ends, each of the members having a longitudinally disposed'slot and a cam member comprising a pair of opposed external cam faces, each face engaging the end of one of the slots, and a solid body portion between kthe cam faces to prevent Vdistortion of the cam member due to compressive strains in operation.

4. A. clasp or toggle comprising two substantially straight members with bent over side portions and cooperating gripping jaws at their front ends, each of said members being provided with afsubstantially medial slot extending therethrough, a pin mounted in the side portions intermediate the ends of the members and'pivotal-ly connecting the same, and a wedge shaped cam having external cam faces and a solid body portion therebetween to prevent distortion of the cam member due to compressive strains in operation mounted in the slots at the rear of the pin and movable rearwardly to force the rear ends of the memwith a longitudinally disposed slot located in the rear portion of the member and a wedgebers apart thereby closing the gripping jaws. shaped cam mounted in the slots with the thin- 5. A clasp or toggle comprising two members formed of sheet metal having turned over sides and with cooperating gripping jaws at their front ends, each of said members having a medially disposed slot positioned substantially equidistant from each end, a pivot pin mounted in the turned over sides and intermediate the ends of the members for connecting the members together, and a wedge shaped cam having external cam faces and a solid body portion therebetween to prevent distortion of the cam member due to compressive strains in operation with the thinner end of the wedge to the rear, the cam faces engaging the ends of the slots distant from the pivot pin for separating the rear ends of the members, the cam being recessed at its front end to provide clearance for the pivot pin.

6. A clasp or toggle comprising a pair of members pivoted together, each member having a gripping jaw at its front end and a slot, a wedge shaped cam mounted in the slots for actuating the members, the cam having a solid body portion and being provided at its rear end with a finger receiving opening whereby the cam may be actuated to close the jaws and thereafter to exert tension on the clamp, and also being provided with a prong to secure the clamp in position in an opening in a frame.

7. A clasp or toggle comprising a pair of members pivoted together, each member having a gripping jaw at its front end and a slot, a cam mounted in the slots for actuating the members, the cam being ring shaped at its rear end to provide a nger receiving opening whereby the same may be actuated to close the jaws and thereafter to exert tension on the clamp, the ring shaped portion of the cam being provided with a pair of prongs on opposite sides thereof to secure the Clasp in position in an opening in a frame.

8. A clasp or toggle comprising a pair of members pivoted together, each member having a gripping jaw at its front end and a slot in its rear portion, a cam mounted in the slots and movable rearwardly for actuating the members, the cam being wedge shaped and having a solid body portion with diverging external actuating faces the rate of divergence diminishing toward the thicker `end of the wedge to compensate for different angular positions of the members due to variations in thickness of the material between the aws.

9. A clasp or toggle comprising two members having cooperating gripping jaws at their front ends, a pivotpin for connectingthe jaws intermediate their ends, a coiled spring encircling the pin and with one free end engaging one member and the other free end engaging the other member tending normally to close the jaws, each member being provided ner portion of the wedge to the rear, and with external cam faces for positively separating the rear portions of the members to close the jaws, and a solid body portion between the cam faces to prevent distortion of the cam member due to compressive strains in operation.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LAWRENCE HOWES TEEL. 

